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Protect Our Civil Rights

Racism is an ugly stain on our history, from which we must learn and not make the same mistake again. Americans have been vile to just about any race or group of people that we don’t like. For example: Christians, Catholics, Mormons, Muslims and Jews. Also we’ve been merciless to American Indians, African Americans, Portuguese, Cubans, Vietnamese, Chinese, and Japanese. Terrible crimes have been committed against these groups of people. Lives were taken, property stolen, and their civil rights ignored. These groups of people were segregated and killed if they had the nerve to stand up for their rights.

I am a Mormon. My ancestors were beaten, killed, and exterminated from the land by their own government. Mormon property was stolen or burned down and they were forced to flee without adequate supplies to face the freezing cold winter. Many of them died on the trails. After many pleas made to the government for restitution, the Mormons were never paid for the property stolen from them and they never saw justice. So yes, I understand prejudice treatment.

My friend Brenda and I were talking about this topic some time ago. I was complaining about the ridiculous claim by some CHRISTIANS that Mormons are a cult and that they are not Christians.

I said, “I can’t believe the gall some people have to redefine Christianity — especially since the definition is very clear in the scriptures that a ‘Christian’ is a believer and follower of Christ. Who do these pompous people think they are when telling me that I am not a Christian because I don’t fit into their definition of Christian? I wonder how Christ feels about that attitude?”

She, being an African American, replied with a obvious response. She said, “Yes, but you don’t wear you’re Mormon on your skin. People don’t know you are Mormon until you tell them but people know I am black the minute they see me.” Her comment took the breathe from me. She was right, and the same is true with Indians, orientals, Mexicans, and Arabs.

The reason for why we are being mistreated and our civil rights violated doesn’t matter, the point is that we are either part of the problem because we say or do nothing to condemn it when we see it. We are all the same color on the inside and we all want the same things out of life. We are all human and all God’s creations. No one is better than another in His eyes so how can we think we have a right to judge someone by race, creed, or beliefs? Who do we think we are anyway?

Please watch this 57 minute video about Martin Luther King and apply it to situations that you see going on around you! This terrible evil is one we cannot afford to be unleashed again in America. We need to love and respect each other, which means blacks respect whites and whites respect blacks (and so forth). Today, we often see reverse discrimination and that is just as wrong. My prayer is that we learn from such times and grow to be a better society.

Maybe this isn’t the proper place to ask this-I don’t know. But could you explain to me what exactly being Mormon means? I can never get a definite answer, so who better to ask than a Mormon. What is it that you all believe? Do you follow the teachings of the Bible? How are you all different from traditional Christians? Thank you for the post by the way-very enlightening.

Mormon is actually a nick name given to the church back in the 1800’s because we believe in the Book of Mormon. The church’s name is the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints. What causes problems for Mormons is that people say that we have replaced the Bible with the Book of Mormon or that we have added to the Bible. We believe the Bible (Old and New Testament) is the word of God and deals with the remnants of Israel in the Old World. We believe that Lehi was a remnant of the Joseph of the 12 tribes of Israel and left Jerusalem before it was taken into bondage. They took their records (writings of Isaiah and what the Jews says as their scriptures) with them when they fled to the wilderness for safety. Eventually, they built a ship and traveled to the Americas. The Book of Mormon is a record of God’s dealings with that remnant of Israel in the wilderness and in the Americas. It is also a second witness of Jesus Christ because he also walked with the people in the Americas after he was resurrected. What tics me off is that people have the nerve to say that God only spoke to people in one land and that He would not speak to another remnant of Israel so that means the prophets and the scriptures that were recorded then are not of God. That is pretty bold and pious (perhaps naive) and a dangerous position to take — to say the writings were not of God or of His prophets. Another problem is that some of the Baptist religion have the nerve to say that Mormons (Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints — LDS) are not Christians because they don’t fit into the narrow description that they say means Christian. In my mind, any one who believes in Christ and followers His doctrine is a Christian. What has caused a lot of animosity toward Mormons is found in the history books. Mormons believe in modern day revelation, that God still speaks to man through His prophets, namely through Joseph Smith, and that they believe they are part of God’s chosen people (meaning part of the House of Israel who God Himself calls His chosen people) and because they did business among themselves, hung out among themselves because of great persecution from others, and because they grew in great numbers, people became afraid of them. True, Mormons were strange and people didn’t understand them at the time. True, they separated themselves from others but that was for their own survival, and true, their doctrine contradicted the doctrine of other religions at the time, so it made them stand out. You know that, anytime people stand out as different or they are not understood, they are harassed, so Mormons were forced out of some states…even the gov didn’t protect them and one official issued an extermination order on Mormons. They were forced to leave the land and travel in the winter without proper clothing and supplies — many of them died because of the cold winters and lack of food. When they reached Utah, they stayed and saw it as a land for them to be free and worship as they please without being killed and molested. Today, Mormons are an asset to society. They are generally clean and wholesome people. They are prosperous and self-reliant people and depend on each other for support if they need help. They don’t smoke, drink alcohol, have sex outside of marriage, and make covenants with God to abide by the commandments and live worthily. In my mind, I think Mormons understand the gospel of Jesus Christ better than many Christians and they follow the commandments closely because of the covenants they make with God. They view Jesus Christ as their Savior, Redeemer, and Lord.

Sorry for all the detail but there is much more to tell if you ever have an interest in more information. In fact, go to the library and get a Book of Mormon, but if you call and ask for a book, the church will deliver one to you that will be your own and you can underline parts of it as you please. It is an interesting book and I know you will find it worth the reading. It is easy to understand. Let me know if you want to and I will have one delivered to you. Thanks for asking. I love talking about the Church. I was raised in the church and dated in the church, and I lived by church standards. Judy